Great things to merge in an album: guitars, synth, cymbals, wispy vocals and dance beats. Bad things to merge in an album: English and French. At least, as merged by The Young Gods. What The Young Gods do well in Super Ready/Fragmenté they do really well—the sound is tight, the beats are slick, the mix is vibrant, the French is superb. But their use of English makes me wonder when Bono turned Swiss, acquired a bad accent, started a dance/synth band and subsequently forgot how to write in complete sentences. At least the music is good.

Local artists lend their talents to documentary film project

By Jim Phillips

Farmington native Justin Hunt is the brains and guile behind American Meth, a documentary film he wrote, produced and directed.With a gift for storytelling (surely the result of years of hard-knocks experience in television journalism), Hunt attempts with American Meth to shed some light on an inexplicable addiction to a dangerous and faithless drug, methamphetamine. An edgy subject, to say the least.

If you ask Alison Shaw why she's so driven to do the things she does for local music, she'll look at you with an expression that implies, “Why aren’t you?” With less than a week before Hyperactive Music Festival II, Shaw is busy working out the fine tuning on an event she launched last year in June.

The Launchpad celebrates 10 years of earth, wind and fire

By Jessica Cassyle Carr

The city of Albuquerque contains legions of rock ’n’ roll fans who have witnessed the performances of idols and demigods, experienced life-altering moments of personal heartbreak and triumph and, during its 10 years, more or less grew up at the Launchpad.

Yule Logs and Jingle Balls • Holly Rebelle • Mena Domina • burlesque

By Devin D. O'Leary

Gilded Cage Burlesk and Varieté is definitely getting on Santa's Naughty list with Yule Logs and Jingle Balls: A Very Risqué, Very Glittery, Very Burlesque Ode to the Holidays. Burlesque dancers, sideshow performers, drag acts and more join forces to celebrate this most sparkly of holidays in grand style…